Built in the 1980s, Cloverplace is a duplex community just off U.S. 19 in Pinellas County. The 120 buildings (240 units) are home to about 500 people, many of them retirees and young families. In 2007, residents of the Cloverplace Condos began to notice unmistakable signs of sinkhole activity. Walls were cracking, stucco was peeling…

The sinkhole lawyers at Corless Barfield Trial Group work diligently to help their clients navigate the often complex and overwhelming information they receive during the sinkhole claim process, which includes costly and intricate repair work. Take, for example, a giant sinkhole in Fraser, Michigan that has caused a plethora of legal and insurance headaches for…

All across Florida, the ground is giving way as gaping holes are opening in backyards, homes and apartments, schoolyards, and roadways. The culprits are sinkholes caused in part by the extra water from Hurricane Irma. Like hurricanes, sinkholes evolve from the action of water on rock, dissolving it, and when hurricanes bring more water, more…

Attorney Ted Corless is on the scene investigating the latest large sinkhole incident in the State of Florida. A large sinkhole opened on the morning of July 14 and it has already swallowed two homes. Authorities are scrambling to keep people safe from the massive, fast-growing sinkhole. Corless learned repairs were done on the sinkhole…

Just wanting to wish a happy new year and a thank you to everyone we worked with this year. 2016 was a fantastic year. We went undefeated in every trial, won a huge Supreme Court appeal and negotiated some truly remarkable settlements. 2017 looks just as good if not better with some large and interesting…

Over the years our firm has become more and more active in the property and community management community. We have decided to join several organizations dedicated to providing services to property managers as well as HOA board members. It is such a fun group and very informative for us to learn the inner workings of…

In 2010 my firm assumed representation of Kathy Johnson, an insured in Ocala with horrific damage to her home. Her claim was denied by Tower Hill (also named Omega Insurance). We hired another engineering firm who did more testing and found clear evidence of sinkhole activity. We moved forward with a lawsuit and shortly after…

As background to this issue, when a homeowner prevails against their insurance company on a sinkhole claim (or any insurance claim) the insurance company is required by statute to compensate the homeowners lawyer for their services. The court will look to how many hours the lawyer spent working on the case and then multiply that…

No great legal insight here, just a notice that we are moving our offices as of June 13th. We have purchased a building just for us and our growing law firm (now five lawyers). The new office address is 6812 W. Linebaugh Ave, Tampa, Florida 33625. Phone numbers and emails will all remain the same…

The coverage itself is usually quite similar. Remember that the sinkhole insurance offered here in Florida is written by Statute so all domestic insurance companies follow the same guidelines. Big differences in the coverage can arise when you have surplus lines carriers which often are the only options for a large, riskier commercial property. (More…

About Us

Many firms will say it. We actually do it. We love going to trial. For us, it’s a passion: meeting the challenge, handling the pressure, and raising the standard of success by working hard for our clients. A lot of Florida law firms will tell you they are unique. Corless Barfield Trial Group will show you. For us, it’s not about rhetoric, it’s about results.

Teamwork in Action. Ted Corless is photobombed by an ecstatic Morgan Barfield after a big win in court this week. Stay tuned for more at www.corlessbarfield.com and sinkholedamageblog.com/. #lawyers #lawfirm #court #win #success #flashbackfriday #motivation #leadership